An Honorable Thief
by Gogeta Uzumaki
Summary: Neji must make a difficult decision between his mission and the girl he loves. Attention please. This is a sequel. Please read Kiba no Tatsu first.
1. Love Unfolds

Gogeta: Hey everybody. Ok here's what happened. I came up with the whole plot for this chapter on a piece of paper. I wrote half this chapter and then lost the paper so I went off what I remembered. Well guess what I just happened to find while cleaning my room? Right, that paper. So after re-reading and realizing the original idea was so much better, I decide to rewrite this chapter. But don't be too upset, I also included stuff that was going to be in the second chapter so there is some new stuff. Alrighty, hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know if you think this version is better than the first one I posted.

Neji: Here we go everybody, take two!

Gogeta: Shut up Neji!

Neji sat tensed in a tree. He'd been squatting on this branch for several hours, awaiting his target. His source had told him the target often walked this way and would be easy prey. Neji watched as a small crowd walked by, not even noticing him. Then his target appeared. He held his breath, reached in his weapons pouch and prepared to leap.

The target was getting closer. Ten meters…five meters….one meter.

The target was directly beneath him and Neji pounced. He pulled something out of his weapons pouch: a scroll. He quickly unfurled it, activated the summoning glyph and the scroll exploded in a cloud of smoke. Neji wrapped his arms around the target and suddenly his world turned upside down. He landed hard on his head, having been tossed over Tenten's shoulder.

The smoke cleared and Tenten put a hand to her mouth when she saw who she'd flipped. "Neji! What the hell were you doing?" she yelled.

Neji just laid there, spread eagle, a dazed look in his eye.

Tenten was about to continue her tirade, when she saw what was in Neji's hand: a bouquet of flowers. She looked from Neji's face to the flowers and comprehension donned on her.

"Oh I'm sorry, Neji. You were just trying to surprise me." She said smiling and picked up the bouquet. She sniffed and for a moment was lost in the medley of aromas but then she felt the public's eyes on her. She smiled to the villagers that were staring at her and waved awkwardly. "Just my boyfriend."

The villagers exchanged looks of understanding and returned to their lives.

Tenten helped Neji to his feet and the two walked down the street, Neji leaning on Tenten, "You know you really have to stop flipping me like that." Neji complained.

"Well you need to stop surprising me like that." Tenten laughed.

"But you said you liked surprises."

"I do." Tenten said and sniffed the flowers again.

Neji hung his head, _I'll never understand her._ He glanced at her and he saw her smile. A warm feeling spread through his entire body and he smiled too, _but then again, I'm ok with that._

"So what was the occasion?" Tenten asked after they'd walked in silence for a while.

"What?"

"Why did you get me flowers?"

"Do I need an occasion?" Neji asked.

"You usually have one."

_Damn she's good._ Neji thought. "Um…"

Tenten stopped and stared into Neji's eyes, a smile on her face, "C'mon. Tell me."

Neji hesitated, but he couldn't break Tenten's stare, "Because I lo…because I lo…because I really like you." Neji finished lamely.

Tenten sighed, "You still can't say it, can you?"

Neji finally broke her gaze and stared at his sandals, "I do though."

"But why can't you say it?"

Neji looked at Tenten again and saw the sadness and disappointment in her face. He leaned forward to kiss her, but she backed away. She put him back on his own two feet and turned her back on him. Neji was at a loss for what to do next. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she walked off before he could reach her.

"I'll talk to you later, Neji." She said without looking back.

He watched her walk until she turned a corner. "I love you…" he said quietly, his hand still outstretched.

Ever since Neji had saved Tenten from the Tsubaki siblings two months ago, the two of them had grown closer. Everyday Tenten would amaze Neji with how much she loved him and everyday Neji tried to return her affections, but to little avail. Having grown up in the Hyuuga mansion, Neji had little to no experience with showing affection, but Tenten was patient, always knowing what Neji was trying to say. She would try to get him to say 'I love you' everyday, but for some reason, he never could say those words to her. He truly felt them in his heart, but they seemed to get lost on the way up.

Neji made his way back to the Hyuuga mansion and found his cousins practicing their Jyuuken. They didn't notice him so Neji watched them for a while. Hinata was the heir to main family, but Neji couldn't help thinking that Hanabi was the better choice. She moved with more confidence and power than Hinata did. Hinata was no weakling anymore, however; she had improved greatly since the time Neji had beaten her in the Chuunin exams. Now she could hold her own against Neji.

Hinata made a powerful strike, but Hanabi deflected it with her hand, got inside Hinata's guard and drove her palm into Hinata's chest, sending her flying. Hinata landed hard at Neji's feet and he knelt to check her.

"Neji-kun!" Hinata gasped. "How long have you been there?"

"Not long." Neji lied.

"How did your date go?" Hanabi asked slyly.

Neji scowled, "Don't concern yourself with it."

Hanabi giggled, "I know what that means."

Hinata smiled, but just twiddled her fingers.

"Hmph, think you're so smart do you?" Neji said

"Actually…yes. Yes I do." Hanabi said, activating her Byakugan and assuming her Jyuuken stance.

Neji smirked and his own Byakugan activated, "You sure you want to take me on?"

Hanabi lunged at Neji, but he easily countered her attack and fell to the ground writhing in pain. Hanabi stared down at her cousin and felt a strong hand pull her back.

"What do you think you're doing, Neji?" Lord Hiashi demanded, Hanabi hanging by the back of her shirt in his hand.

"Stop it! We were sparring! That's all!" Hanabi exclaimed.

"Y-yes, just sparring, father." Hinata added.

Lord Hiashi glared at Neji, "That better be all." He put Hanabi back down, ended the jutsu and stormed off.

Neji relaxed and lay on the ground, breathing hard.

"What was that?" Hanabi demanded when her father was out of earshot.

"The curse seal of the Branch family."Hinata said quietly, anger and sorrow in her voice.

"I really hate that thing." Neji mumbled. He forced himself back to his feet and bowed to his cousins. "I'm sorry if this gets you in trouble." Hinata and Hanabi started to tell him not to worry, but he held up his hand to silence them and walked away.

Neji returned to his room and flopped onto his bed, "Sheesh, what's going on today? First Tenten gets mad at me, now this…what next?"

As if on cue, an Anbu Black Ops member appeared in his window, "Neji-san! Lady Hokage has summoned you!"

Neji nodded and followed the Anbu out his window.

Neji arrived at Tsunade's office and found Hinata and Tenten already there. Tenten glared at Neji and turned her back on him.

"Good. You're finally here, Neji." Tsunade said. "Now as I was saying, your mission is to go to the Land of Grass to retrieve a prisoner."

"Lady Tsuande…this might not be the best team…" Neji said, glancing at Tenten.

"Oh? And why is that?" Tsunade said, a dangerous look in her eye.

"Yes, why is that Neji?" Tenten shot at him.

Neji held up his hands, "Nevermind…please continue Lady Hokage."

"As I was saying, a criminal by the name of Keito says he has important secret information about Orochimaru. He demands amnesty for this information." Tsunade finished.

"Why did he not bring us this information before being captured?" Neji wondered.

"He probably just saw it as a "get out of jail free" card." Hinata said quietly.

"Regardless, the info might actually be helpful, so retrieve him for interrogation."

"Yes Lady Hokage!"

"Neji, wait a moment." Tsunade called.

Tenten and Hinata left, leaving the two alone, "Yes Lady Tsunade?"

"Lord Hiashi asked that I give this to you before you left." Tsunade said, holding out a scroll.

Neji took it and began to read it. The more he read, the harder his face grew. He finished the scroll, angrily rolled it closed and shoved it in his knap sack.

"Words of encouragement?" Tsunade asked.

"Something like that." Neji growled and stormed out of Tsunade's office.

The three raced to the Land of Grass in relative silence. Neji was still brooding over the message from Lord Hiashi, but what took precedence in his mind was Tenten. He would try to get Tenten's attention every few miles, but she either could not hear him, or was just ignoring him.

"Tenten…" Neji began for the fifth time.

"What is it Neji?" Tenten snapped without looking back.

"I just want you to know I'm sorry for how I acted earlier today."

Tenten didn't respond, but just kept leaping through the trees.

Neji sighed and fell in beside Hinata, "What's wrong with me?"

"What do you mean Neji-niisan?"

"I can't tell her that I love her…why not?"

Hinata nodded, "I see."

"Could it be that since the Hyuuga family is not very affectionate, I in turn do not know how to express affection?"

"It could be…I know how distant our family is…but it's no excuse."

"What?"

"You should express your feelings…"

"I just told you I can't!" Neji said, getting a little angry.

"What's stopping you?"

Neji opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. He looked back at Tenten and asked himself the same question.

_Is it because she's not a Hyuuga…Or am I simply afraid to tell her? What if she didn't feel the same way?_

"But there's something else troubling you, isn't there?" Hinata asked.

"What?"

"I can tell." Hinata said, a confident tone in her voice, "You stare at Tenten a lot, but your eyes keep darting around, as if you can't focus. What else is bothering you?"

Neji stared at his cousin, honestly impressed. He thought for a moment, took out Lord Hiashi's scroll and tossed it to Hinata. She caught it and began to read, but stopped after only reading the first sentence. She tore it up and let the pieces trail out behind her.

The group continued toward the Land of Grass in silence until Neji ordered a halt.

"What's wrong, Neji-niisan?" Hinata asked.

"Have you not sensed them, Hinata-sama? You're slipping." Neji poked at his cousin.

Hinata blushed and activated her Byakugan.

"Anybody want to tell me what's going on?" Tenten demanded angrily.

"You're surrounded, that's what." a new voice said and nine bandits leapt out of the trees.

Neji smirked, "Do you think you're any match for us?"

"Confident…I like that in a victim." The lead bandit said and lunged at Neji. In a fluid motion, Neji grabbed the bandit's arm, used his momentum against him and flipped the bandit over his shoulder.

"C'mon, Neji!" Tenten complained, "That's MY move!"

"You've done it to me so many times, I just learned it." Neji smiled.

"You're supposed to have Byakugan, not Sharingan!"

"It's possibly to copy moves without Sharingan you know." Neji chuckled, glad to be talking to Tenten again.

"Enough!" the lead bandit shrieked, "This is no time for your lover's quarrel!"

"Lover's quarrel?" Tenten said with an ominous tone in her voice, "You don't know the meaning of the word."

"This would be a good time to run away." Neji warned.

The bandit leader faltered, but pulled himself together, "What are you waiting for? Attack!" He ordered his men and they all leapt into the air.

Neji and Tenten shared a look and nodded, "Hinata, stay low ok." Neji said and grabbed a large chain Tenten had summoned. "Ready Tenten." She nodded and began to spin around, holding the chain out. Neji's feet left the ground and he began to spin as well, performing a Rotation. Tenten swung Neji around with expert accuracy and hit every bandit. Neji flipped and landed next to Tenten, the large chain disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"I warned you." Neji said to the unconscious lead bandit.

Tenten replaced her large weapon scroll and leapt into the trees, as if nothing happened.

"You're just going to let her go?" Hinata asked, as she and Neji followed Tenten.

Neji gave Hinata a hard look, and rushed forward. He got ahead of Tenten and stood with his arms spread wide. She gave him an annoyed look, but stopped.

"What is it, Neji?"

"You were amazing back there…" Neji began.

"Yeah I know, but we have a mission to do." Tenten said coldly.

"You have something else to say, right, Neji?" Hinata said quietly.

Neji said nothing but stared into Tenten's eyes. He could see every emotion boiling in her soul; anger, hope, fear. He sighed, "Yes…there is."

"Well…what is it?" Tenten demanded.

Neji stared into Tenten's eyes and faltered, "Nevermind. C'mon, let's go get the prisoner."

Neji spun on his heel and continued toward the Land of Grass, Tenten and Hinata following close behind.

"Grr…I just don't understand him." Tenten fumed.

"Please don't be too hard on him." Hinata said, a sad note in her voice, "It's because our family isn't the most affectionate; especially the Branch Family."

"I've been patient, Hinata!" Tenten snapped. "It's been a month since he rescued me and he still hasn't told me he loves me. I mean, I say it all the time and I'm always doing nice stuff for him-"

"Does he do nothing nice in return?" Hinata asked.

"Well, no…he does nice things all the time." Tenten said in a small voice.

"So why is this one thing making you so mad?"

Tenten pondered this as they followed Neji.

They arrived at the Land of Grass a few hours later and went straight to the jail. Neji waved to the nearest guard who regarded them with a confused look. "Who are you?"

Neji jabbed his thumb at his headband, "I'm Neji Hyuuga of Konoha. I'm on a mission to retrieve Keito and deliver him to our interrogation team. Now please turn him over to our custody." The guard stared at Neji, a blank look in his eyes.

"This is the jail where Keito's being held right?" Tenten asked. The guard said nothing but just continued to stare at them blankly.

"This _is _a jail, right?" Hinata asked.

The guard chuckled to himself, "A'course this is a jail. You'd have to be an idiot to not know that."

The three ninja stared at this walking oxymoron until Neji took a deep breath and spoke slowly to the guard.

"You have prisoners here, right?"

"Duh."

"Is one of them named Keito?"

"Yeah, he's been giving us a hard time lately."

"Well we need to take him to our village."

"Why?"

"To interrogate him."

"About?"

"Secret information on Orochimaru."

"Oh. Sounds fine to me." The guard said and stood at attention as if he'd done his job.

"Can you go get him?" Neji said, forcing himself to stay calm.

"Oh, no I can't do that. You need to go to the warden first." The guard explained.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?" Neji roared.

Tenten and Hinata each grabbed one of Neji's arms and kept him from attacking the guard.

"Thank you for your assistance." Hinata said brightly as they dragged Neji away.

The three walked to the warden's office, Neji grumbling about the stupid guard. They arrived to find the warden sitting behind his desk, fast asleep.

"Is everyone in this facility inept?" Neji cried.

The warden snorted and leapt into a defensive stance. "Oo the 'ell er ya?" he said with a slur.

_Oh, great! He's drunk!_ Neji thought.

"We're here to get Keito." Tenten explained.

"Oh, sir 'ing" the warden slurred and sloppily signed a paper, "'ake 'at to the gourd our front."

Tenten leaned forward and grabbed the paper but the warden wouldn't let go, "Ya know…you're really pretty." The warden said, a cheeky grin on his face. Tenten smiled, snatched the paper out of the warden's hand and quickly backed away before the smell of booze made her faint.

The three reluctantly returned to the slow guard and handed him the paper. The guard slowly read it and nodded; albeit a little too enthusiastically. "I'll get him lickity split!" he said and ran inside the prison.

_Lickity split? I'll bet this guy only got the job because the warden was drunk._

They heard a yell from inside the jail and Neji saw a flash of orange run out the door and leap over the village gates.

"Please tell me that wasn't-"

"Uh…well there he goes…you better catch him if you plan on taking him to your village." The slow guard said from behind the prison door.

Neji, Tenten and Hinata all stared at the guard in amazement. "You let him escape?" Tenten demanded.

"I didn't _let _him escape…he just slipped out when I opened the door." The guard finished lamely.

_It's like having Naruto on the team with us. _Tenten thought.

"You're lucky on two counts." Neji said angrily, "One, we need him, two you've got a steel door between me and you so I can't hit you!"

Hinata and Tenten held Neji back again and pulled him along with them as they raced after Keito.

"He's pretty fast." Tenten said as they raced after Keito.

"Yeah, I'm having trouble keeping up with him." Neji agreed, "Damn, where's Lee when you need him?"

"Who needs Lee?" Tenten said with a smile.

Neji gave her a puzzled look and watched as Tenten built up chakra in her feet, launching herself through the trees. She halved the distance between herself and Keito and threw a kunai at the escaped prisoner. He turned just in time to avoid the kunai and stuck his tongue out at Tenten.

"HA! Your aim sucks, little girl." Keito cackled.

Tenten smirked and tugged on a steel wire. The kunai she'd just thrown looped around a branch and embedded itself into another tree. Keito continued to make faces at Tenten until he ran into the wire and plummeted toward earth. Keito closed his eyes and screamed, covering his face.

"Why are you screaming?" Neji calmly asked.

Keito paused mid-scream and opened his eyes to see that Hinata was holding him by his ankle and Neji was standing on the branch below at eye level. Keito folded his arms and his expression changed to one of boredom, "So what now? Gunna take me back to that stink hole of a prison?"

"You know, Hinata would probably appreciate a 'thank you for saving me'." Neji said. "Nice throw, Tenten." Neji said smiling up at her.

"Thanks." Tenten responded with a wide smile of her own.

"Oh great." Keito groaned, "I've been captured by the love birds."

"Looks like the prisoner is jealous." Tenten giggled.

"Oh, feisty as well as pretty, huh? Nice combo." Keito smirked.

"Don't you talk about her like that." Neji scowled.

"Oh please don't hurt me Mr. Big Bad Boyfriend." Keito said in mock fear.

"He's not the one you need to worry about." Tenten said, suddenly next to Keito with a kunai to his throat.

Keito swallowed and gave a shaky laugh, "I'll keep that in mind."

"So what do you say?" Tenten said with a dangerous smile, "We doing this the easy way, or the hard way?"

"Do I really have a choice?"

The four headed back to the village; Keito in the middle of a triangle with Neji at point. Tenten could feel that Neji was on edge. He hadn't deactivated his Byakugan since they'd captured Keito and he kept glancing around every time he heard a rustle in the trees. Of course, Keito wasn't helping. He constantly complained about everything, including how filthy his clothes were, how bald he was, and the fact that he only had one tooth.

"So how far is it to your stinking village?" Keito asked for the fifth time.

"Like I said before, it's another half day's walk." Neji explained, praying for patience. "Of course, if you could leap through the trees like you were doing before, it'd only take us a few hours."

"Impossible." Keito said folding his arms, "Hurt my leg."

"Then how are you walking?" Tenten asked.

Keito pretended to think, "Oh, right! I just want to make your lives miserable." He chuckled to himself.

Tenten glanced up at Neji and thought it best to give Keito a warning, "Keep it up and you'll arrive at our village in a full body cast."

Keito glanced over his shoulder at Tenten and gave her a bored look. He spun so he was walking backwards and folded his arms behind his head. "Aww, that's cute. You're worried about me."

Tenten blushed, "Don't misunderstand me." She said dangerously, "My only concern is the mission."

"And that mission is?"

"To bring you safely to Konoha for questioning."

"And that's why I'm not worried." Keito said, a cheeky grin on his face.

"Safely only means 'alive' you know." Hinata chimed in.

Keito's eyes widened in fear and he glanced at Tenten. She winked and summoned a large, spiked club from her scroll. Keito spun around again and heaved a deep sigh, "So how long 'til we get to your village?"

"That's it!" Neji roared and turned on Keito.

"Please don't hurt me!" Keito said and threw his hands over his head.

"I'm not going to hurt you, you're just going to take a little nap." Neji growled and poked Keito's forehead. Keito's eyes turned foggy and he fell to the ground, unconscious. "Finally, peace and quiet."

"What do you think you're doing!" Hinata rushed over put her arm around Neji's neck.

"Me? What about you?" Neji demanded.

"Just play along! Please!" she whispered desperately.

Neji looked confused but knelt so it looked like Hinata had him in a head-lock. "You know that's against our rules!" Hinata yelled, then whispered, "Now's a good time to tell her you love her."

Neji gave Hinata a hard look, but she just winked and returned to yelling, "You know you could permanently harm someone by doing that! Don't let me catch you doing it again!" she let go of Neji's neck and quickly retreated, amazed that she'd been so bold.

Neji rubbed his neck and turned to Tenten. She looked at him and then to Hinata who winked and nodded ever-so-slightly at Neji. Tenten smirked at Hinata and put her hands on her hips as Neji walked toward her.

"Tenten…there's something I've been meaning to tell you…" Neji began again.

"Neji, before you begin, I want to say I'm sorry." Tenten said, dropping Neji's gaze. He stared down at her, completely caught off guard. "I realize now that I've been unfair to you."

"You…you have?" Neji looked deep into Tenten's eyes and saw a maelstrom of emotions; guilt, fear, anger, apprehension.

"Yes. You're always doing nice things for me and I've taken them for granted up until now, but now I realize that that is your way of showing affection. It may be different than mine, but now I know that you really do-"

Neji held up his hand to quiet Tenten, "I understand, but what I have to say will solve both our problems." Neji glanced at Hinata who mouthed the word 'love'. He looked back at Tenten's face; full of emotion. He felt his soul fighting with his mind. His head and heart began hurting. He felt as though he were falling into madness, but Hinata took his hand and put it in Tenten's and all that vanished; his mind was clear. "Tenten…I love you."

Tenten's entire face changed right before Neji's eyes. The worry on her face vanished, her narrow eyes widened, her apprehensive frown broke into an overjoyed beam and color flooded into her cheeks. Neji could only stare as she grew more and more beautiful before his eyes. Hinata gently pushed them together and the two wrapped each other in their arms. Neji felt his heart beat harder and realized that it was Tenten's heart beating in time with his. He breathed deeply and could only smell Tenten's sweet, floral essence. He heard her breathing as well and realized she was crying.

Neji broke the embrace and looked into Tenten's eyes again. They were no longer a boiling sea, rather a rippling pond. She returned his gaze as tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks. Neji wiped one away, "What's wrong?"

Tenten laughed, "For all your insight and intelligence, you're still clueless."

Neji gave her a questioning look, but she just shook her head and kissed him. Tenten pulled away and laid her head on Neji's chest, "Say it again…please."

Neji laid his head on top of her's and whispered, "I love you."

Tenten sobbed again and the two stood there, holding each other, not caring about the world around.

"Neji!" Hinata cried.

The two reluctantly broke their embrace and looked where Hinata was pointing. A large snake slithered out of the trees and regarded them hungrily. The three ninja took a defensive stance around the still unconscious Keito and the snake hissed at them loudly. As if in response, more snakes emerged from the trees and trapped the ninja in a circle of scaly bodies.

"Well well well, haven't seen you guys in a while." Sasuke said as he alighted on a nearby tree branch.

"Sasuke!" the three ninja gasped.

"What were your names again?" Sasuke said nonchalantly.

"You don't even remember your comrades' names?" Neji spat.

"Comrades? Since when were you three ever my comrades?" Sasuke chuckled.

"As a fellow member of Konoha, we are all your comrades." Tenten growled.

"But as I am no longer a member of Konoha, you are no longer my comrades." Sasuke said and motioned to one of the snakes. It slithered forward and attacked Tenten who summoned the Kiba no Tatsu.

"Kiba no Tatsu; Black Moon Fang!" she yelled and an arc of black energy shot at the snake, decapitating it.

"What was that?" Neji exclaimed.

"What, I watch other anime too, you know." Tenten smirked.

"How did you know that one was a Hollow?" Sasuke demanded. "No matter." Sasuke motioned to the other snakes who were just as easily defeated by Neji and Hinata's Jyuuken. "Oh wait, I remember you now." Sasuke chuckled. "I wanted to fight you back in the Chuunin exams."

"Well now's your chance." Neji glaring at Sasuke with his Byakugan.

"I would, but I'm on a mission of my own. I'm here to take that prisoner off your hands."

Neji glanced at Keito with his Byakugan and saw that he was still unconscious, "You're too late. He got on my nerves and I killed him."

"How stupid do you think I am?" Sasuke snarled, "My Sharingan may not be able to see as much as your Byakugan, but it can still see that he is alive."

Neji gritted his teeth, "Well if you want him. You're gunna have to go through us." Neji said and the three of them moved between Sasuke and Keito.

"Interesting proposition. I think I'll take you up on it." Sasuke said and he lunged at them with his sword. Neji tried to defend himself, but found that he couldn't move. Time seemed to slow down as Sasuke's blade pierced his chest, followed by the blade's hilt and Sasuke's entire body. He heard the girls scream behind him and knew that Sasuke had flown through them as well. He looked down and saw nothing but a gaping hole where his stomach should've been. Panic began to over take him but then his Byakugan saw that the chakra network was undisturbed in his stomach. _Genjutsu!_ Neji flooded his body with chakra, forcing Sasuke's out of him and dispelling the genjutsu. Neji fell to his knee, breathing heavily and glared at Sasuke who hadn't moved from his tree.

"Nice one." Neji said, forcing himself to his feet. "I almost fell for it."

Sasuke scowled, "Fine. This time for real!" he said and leapt down to the ground.

Sasuke rushed forward and slashed with his sword. Neji countered with his kunai and the two tried to stare the other down. Neji scowled back at Sasuke, but then a smile broke across Sasuke's face, "You know, you're at a disadvantage."

"Am I?" Neji asked, trying to sound more confident than he was.

"Yes. I just have to fight you, but you have to defend your friends and fight me at the same time."

"Not a problem." Neji said and shoved Sasuke back. He formed a seal and suddenly there were three of Neji.

"I see Naruto taught you his favorite trick." Sasuke smirked.

"That's not all he taught me." Neji said and all three formed a Rasengan in their hands.

Sasuke howled with laughter, "Apparently he never told you that my Chidori beat his Rasengan at the Valley of the End." He cackled as a Chidori blazed to life in his hand.

"Lucky for me I'm stronger than Naruto." Neji said, but though; _I wish._

Sasuke said nothing but rushed forward, Chidori raised for attack. Neji rushed as well Rasengan held to counter. Sasuke smirked and his Chidori extended, went around the Rasengan and pierced Neji's shoulder, but he didn't stop. Neji continued to attack Sasuke, the Chidori Spear moving through his body.

"Pitiful fool." Sasuke clenched his fist and several Chidori barbs burst out of Neji's body, halting him in his footsteps. "Unfortunately for you, I'm a long distance fighter."

"Fortunately for me, you're easily distracted." A second Neji said from the air. He sailed toward Neji, Rasengan in hand only to be run through by Sasuke's sword.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" Sasuke said in a deadly voice, "My Sharingan notices every little detail and allows me to come up with the perfect counter attack in a mere instant. Your pathetic strategy was pitifully obvious from the start." Sasuke glowered down at the two dying Neji's. "Now the only question is, which one is the real one?" Sasuke summoned two shuriken and impaled them in both Neji's heads and they both disappeared in a puff of smoke. "What!"

The real Neji erupted from the ground behind Sasuke and drove his Rasengan into Sasuke's back. He screamed in pain and the Rasengan expanded and enveloped him. Sasuke began to spin within the ball of chakra and Neji got into his Jyuuken stance.

"Thankfully, you hadn't arrived at the Exams when I did this move, so it'll be completely new. Hyuuga Art: 8 Trigrams 64 Palms!" Neji yelled and his blows rained down on the spinning Rasengan. Neji struck the final blow and the Rasengan rocketed forward into a tree and exploded. "It's over."

"You'd like it to be over wouldn't you?" Sasuke said, suddenly behind Neji. Neji turned just to see Sasuke strike him in the back of the neck, knocking him out. "Too bad you're not the only one who uses Clones." Sasuke said glancing over at the remains of his Snake Clone. "But I suppose you are lucky. I'm not at 100% right now and I feel like a re-match." Sasuke scribbled on a scroll and put it in Neji's hand. "Enjoy your sleep. It'll be the last peaceful one you'll ever have."

Neji: Wow…

Gogeta: Pretty good, eh?

Neji: Well…I'm just surprised you're using Sasuke.

Gogeta: Yeah, he's not my favorite character on account of him being a betraying, back stabbing son of a *****, but I really like the idea of Byakugan v. Sharingan.

Neji: Oh I see what you're doing. I wonder which Dojutsu Masashi-sensei likes more.

Sasuke: Obviously Sharingan. Look which one has more forms and powers.

Neji: Just means one sucked before and one has been good from the beginning.

Sasuke: That's it! Let's go right here, right now.

Gogeta: Ok while they fight that out, let me apologize for the Bleach reference if I got that wrong. I don't watch the show but I felt like putting the joke in. So if you Bleach fans out there are cussing me out for doing it wrong…well I don't care lol. Ok thanks for reading. The next chapter should be out pretty soon…that is unless I leave for the Navy before I finish it. Laters.

Tenten: Honestly, why do I always end up being captured in your fanfics…oops spoilers.


	2. Sasuke's Ultimatem

Gogeta: Dammit Tenten.

Tenten: What?

Gogeta: Giving the readers spoilers!

Tenten: Oh sorry.

Gogeta: Yeah you'll be sorry by the end of the chapter. Now anyways on with the next chapter.

Tenten: What did he mean I'd be sorry?

Neji: I don't know, but I suggest you wear a hard hat for a while.

Gogeta: By the way, how did that fight with Sasuke turn out.

Neji: I don't want to talk about it.

Sasuke: Trapped him in my Mangekyou

Gogeta: Stab him for three days straight?

Sasuke: No...Caramelldansen

Gogeta: Yikes

Neji awoke from a dreamless sleep and his whole body ached. He rubbed his neck where Sasuke had struck him and forced himself to a sitting position. Slowly he remembered what had happened; Sasuke's appearance, his attack and his departure. Neji groaned and looked around, expecting Keito to be gone and his friends dead, but what he saw surprised him. One was missing, but it wasn't Keito.

"Tenten! Are you ok?" Neji yelled as he rushed over to her. He put a hand on her shoulder, but she weakly tried to push him away and sobbed into the dirt. _She's still in shock from the genjutsu. _Neji thought. _At least she's still alive._ Neji turned now to Keito and his Byakugan could see that Sasuke hadn't touched him. His attention then turned to Hinata, but she was nowhere to be seen. Panic swelled up inside Neji at the thought of his cousin alone with Sasuke. He clenched his fists and only then did he notice that he had a scroll in his hand. He recognized the Uchiha symbol and ripped the scroll open. Inside Neji found Sasuke's perfect penmanship and his insides turned to ice as he read:

It's been a while, Tenten, Neji.

I have taken Hinata with me and you shall have her back in return for the prisoner Keito.

Deliver him dead or alive to the Land of Birds and your precious Hinata will not be harmed.

I shall wait for five days, if you do not show, then Hinata's head shall decorate the Hyuuga Mansion's gate and her blood the walls.

Don't be late.

Sasuke Uchiha

Neji stared down at the scroll as if it was this piece of paper that had stolen Hinata. Slowly his insides unclenched and his mind began to race. _The Land of Birds, I have to get there now!_

Neji rushed back over to Tenten and forced her into a sitting position, "Tenten! Snap out of it!" he yelled, snapping his fingers in her face. Tenten's eyes were shut so tightly there were deep wrinkles on her forehead and Neji had to take a deep breath to steady himself. He built up a small amount of chakra in his fingers and touched Tenten's forehead. He could feel her tension melt away as his chakra forced out Sasuke's, returning Tenten's to equilibrium. The furrows vanished from Tenten's face and she tentatively opened one eye. She stared at Neji for a moment and then she seemed to remember what had happened. Tenten was on her feet, kunai in hand, searching for Sasuke.

"He's already gone, Tenten." Neji said softly, holding out Sasuke's scroll.

"What?" Tenten said as she took the scroll, "And he didn't kill us or take-" Tenten's voice vanished as she read the scroll.

"Seems he expects us to deliver Keito to him personally." Neji said indicating the unconscious criminal.

"But why not just take him now?" Tenten asked.

Neji forced himself to calm down and pondered this. "He wants a re-match."

"A re-match?"

"Yeah, he said he wasn't at 100% today so he must want to test his skills against me when he is."

"But why the Land of Birds?" Tenten asked.

"I have no idea..."Neji admitted. "We've been there before when we had to deal with the ghost warrior, but I don't know if it has any significance to Sasuke."

"Maybe it's close to one of Orochimaru's hide-outs." Tenten said, suddenly excited.

"We'll worry about that later, right now our main priority is Hinata." Neji said firmly.

"So we just have to go to the Land of Birds, get Hinata back and then take Keito back to Konoha." Tenten said brightly.

"Sasuke won't be an easy win, but that is the basic plan." Neji agreed.

"Well what are we waiting for?"

Neji nodded and put Keito over his shoulder in a fireman carry. They shared a look and leapt into the trees.

They traveled in silence, Neji unable to focus on anything besides Hinata. Only when he almost fell out of the trees did Neji force himself to pay more attention to his surroundings.

"What's wrong?" Tenten asked. "You've never stumbled before, let alone as much as you have been."

"I just hope Lord Hiashi doesn't learn of this."

"Yeah I don't think he'd be too happy."

"You don't understand." Neji said darkly.

"What don't I understand?"

Neji heaved a sigh, "Before I left, Lady Tsunade gave me a scroll from Lord Hiashi that basically said if anything happened to Hinata under my watch, not only would my brain be melted by the seal on my forehead, but before that my hands would be crushed, my Byakugan destroyed and my tongue removed."

Tenten stared at Neji, her eyes wide with shock, "He'd do that?"

"That and more...the rest of the branch family would suffer for my inability to protect the heir of the main family." Neji said, his pulse quickening at the though of it.

"I had no idea..." Tenten said quietly.

Neji just nodded darkly and the two continued toward the Land of Birds.

After a few hours travel, Keito began to stir, forcing Neji and Tenten to halt while he regained consciousness. He immediately began his complaining again, yelling at Neji for knocking him out and how his back ached after being carried in such a manner.

"Well I could have just left you behind." Neji threatened.

"And abandon your mission? I don't think so." Keito chuckled to himself. "By the way, weren't there more of you before I passed out?"

Neji face hardened and his glare was enough to make even Keito waver. "Yes, there were." Neji said in a whisper that was almost a growl. "And as for abandoning our mission...we're doing just that."

Keito's eyes went wide with shock, "You mean you are going to leave me here?"

Tenten rolled her eyes, "Of course not. If that was the plan you wouldn't be with us right now."

Keito looked at both ninja with a confused look on his face, "Then what _is _going to happen?"

"We're going after Sasuke." Neji explained.

Neji didn't think it was possible, but Keito's eyes got even wider, "Sasuke? You couldn't mean Uchiha Sasuke could you?"

"The same." Tenten said kurtly.

Keito looked at Neji and he thought he saw a glimmer of pity in Keito's eyes, "The girl that was taken...was she close to you?"

Neji hesitated for a moment, but answered, "She was my cousin."

Keito shook his head, "I'm sorry friend...she is already dead."

"DON'T YOU SAY THAT!" Neji roared at Keito. "I'll save her, even if it means trading you for her. And I'm not your friend!"

Tenten gasped, shocked at Neji's outburst. She touched his shoulder and when his face turned to her, she could feel his rage. "Calm down, Neji." she said softly, taking his hand in hers. "Raw emotions won't save Hinata; our cool intellect will."

Neji took a few deep breaths to calm himself, "I guess Shogun still has some influence over me..."

Tenten pulled out the Kiba no Tatsu as if to reassure him, "No, he's still locked away."

Calm again, Neji hugged Tenten and began to formulate a plan.

"Sheesh are you finally awake?" a voice said, interrupting Neji's thoughts. Neji and Tenten instantly moved into defensive positions around Keito. "Oh, look, they think they stand a chance." the voice laughed.

"Show yourself!" Neji demanded.

"Please, I know that Byakugan of yours can see me even if I was invisible, but if you insist." the voice said sarcastically. The voice's owner dropped from a tree, revealing himself to be a young, roguish boy of about Neji's age. His hair was short and red, while his eyes were a piercing blue. His clothes and headband told Neji that he was a rogue Stone ninja. Neji noticed nothing strange about this boy except that he had no fingers or toes. "Happy now?"

"Not quite." Neji said. "How about a name?"

"It's polite to give your own name first. Aparently Sasuke never succeeded in teaching you manners."

"Sasuke?" Tenten gasped.

"Fine, I'll let it slide this time since I already know your name; Neji Hyuuga. My name is Watari. I'm one of Lord Orochimaru's successful experiments." Watari said with hint of pride in his voice.

"And your purpose?"

"My my...Sasuke always said you were so smart." Watari said, shaking his head, "I'm here to make sure you're even worth Sasuke's time."

"Perhaps Sasuke is more of a coward than a blood thirsty assassin." Keito laughed.

"Oh, nice one." Watari chuckled, "I think I'll take my time and enjoy killing you."

"You'll have to go through us." Tenten said defiantly, brandishing the Kiba no Tatsu.

"An excellent idea." Watari said and calmly advanced on them.

"Careful Tenten. We don't know what this guy's jutsu are." Neji warned.

Tenten smiled, "Let's try to find out."

She quickly summoned some shuriken from her scroll and expertly thew them at Watari who didn't even bother to dodge. The shuriken hit their target but just bounced away harmlessly.

Watari laughed, "I see you've discovered my rock hard abs."

"This guys a freak!" Keito whined, "He's about to fight, but he's still smiling and laughing."

"And what's wrong with having a cheerful disposition?" Watari asked, still advancing on the small group.

Tenten grimaced, "Fine, let's see if you can handle this!" She summoned several kunai and launched them as well. Again Watari didn't dodge, and when the kunai hit their mark, they exploded. Tenten looked victorious until Watari emerged from the smoke, completely unfazed.

"Is that all you got?"

"He really seems to be enjoying himself." Keito noticed. "Come on girl, don't you have anything better in that scroll of yours?"

"Tenten, just throw some regular shuriken." Neji said, his Byakugan activated.

She hesitated for a moment then followed Neji's order, throwing ten shuriken with one hand. They all flew true, but none even scratched Watari's clothes.

"Starting to get bored." Watari said, now only ten paces away.

"What did that accomplish?" Tenten hissed at Neji.

"He's using a Doton jutsu to protect himself." Neji whispered.

Tenten nodded and stepped behind Neji as he built up chakra in his hands. He launched his attack and closed the gap between him and Watari in five steps. Watari watched him advance, smiling the whole time and barely reacted when Neji unleashed a flurry of Jyuuken strikes. Neji's Byakugan saw that the Doton jutsu was strong enough even to block his strikes, but Neji continued to hammer away at Watari. He struck his final blow and Neji only succeeded in driving Watari back a few steps.

"Seriously?" Watari sighed. "I was expecting so much more. You didn't even mess up my clothes."

"Thankfully I wasn't trying to, Tenten, NOW!" Neji yelled and Tenten jumped into action. She'd snuck behind Watari while Neji occupied him and now lashed out with a large chain. Watari turned just in time to see the chain fly past his head and wrap around his body. He began to struggle, until Neji grabbed the chain.

"It's over. Raiton: Jibashi!"

Neji's Raiton chakra ran down the chain and buzzed over Watari's body. He screamed for a moment and then laughed again, "Just kidding."

Neji scowled and poured more chakra into the chain. The chakra was so strong that it began to arc off the chain and start small fires in the surrounding forest, but Watari continued to laugh. _This makes no sense. The charge is strong enough to kill an elephant. _Neji glared with his Byakugan and saw that the chain wasn't actually touching Watari. It was hovering around him with only a few centimeters between the chain and him. _How is that possible._

Neji stopped his attack and yanked the chain back, "What are you?"

"Like I told you," Watari said, still giggling to himself, "I'm one of Orochimaru's most successful experiments. By the way are you done? Because I'm ready for it to be my turn."

"H-His turn?" Tenten stammered.

"It's like he thinks this is a game." Neji murmured.

Watari gestured to one of the discarded shuriken that Tenten had thrown and it rushed into his hand. "Nice, huh?" and with that he launched it at Neji and Tenten.

Neji and Tenten calmly dodged the shuriken, but Keito screamed and ran for cover behind a large rock. Neji was about to yell at him, but the rest of shuriken were now flying their way as well. Neji stepped in front of Tenten and performed his Rotation. The shuriken bounced away harmlessly, which only made Watari laugh more. He wiggled his fingers and suddenly the shuriken were flying straight at Neji again. Tenten countered the shuriken with some kunai, but this only gave Watari more ammo. Soon the two of them were surrounded by a swirling cloud of ninja tools which would launch a shuriken or kunai ever few rotations.

"How's he doing this?" Tenten screamed over the din of the flying weapons.

"I don't know!" Neji yelled back, his mind working furiously.

The tools began to attack at a greater frequency and it was all Neji could do to protect himself and Tenten from the deadly torrent. Neji used the last of his chakra and performed a final Rotation. Slowly the tools found weak points in his defense and began to rain down on them. Neji heard Tenten scream and then he felt the tools pierce his clothes and the next thing he knew, he was nailed to the ground. He looked around and found that Tenten was in the same predicament as himself. Watari wiped his brow, "Wow, you guys took a lot longer than my other victims."

"We'll try to take that as a compliment." Neji spat, fighting to get back on his feet.

"Give it up, Neji. You can't break free of my Magnetic chakra-oops. Wasn't supposed to tell you that." Watari said with mock worry. He calmly walked over and knelt next to Tenten, staring at her hungrily.

"What are you going to do now?" Neji demanded.

"Who? Me? Oh, I thought I'd cut you to ribbons with these." Watari cackled as he held up his finger-less hand.

Neji was about to laugh himself until five metal claws erupted from Watari's skin. "You see, not only does my Magnetic chakra allow me to control your ninja tools, it also allows me to manipulate metal." he said, examining his new digits. Watari tore his eyes away from his claws and stared down at Tenten, his smile looking more manic now. Watari drew back his arm and plunged it down. Neji heard the sound of blades piercing skin and bone and a horrible scream filled his ears.

Tenten: What the hell, Gogeta! You're killing me!

Gogeta: Told you you'd be sorry by the end of this chapter.

Neji: It's obviously not Tenten that got stabbed.

Gogeta: And what makes you think that, Neji?

Neji: You went through all the trouble to put me and her together...there's no way you'd undo all that work.

Gogeta: You don't know me very well do you?

Tenten: Kill me and Neji will walk away and never be in another one of your fanfics.

Keito: Don't bother to threaten him. He's too stupid to take you seriously.

Gogeta: Just you wait Keito, you'll get your's too.

Keito: What's that supposed to mean?

Gogeta: You'll find out.

Sasuke: Why wasn't I in this one...you told me I'd have a lot of screen time!

Gogeta: Oh shut up Sasuke.


	3. Keito's Secret

Gogeta: Ok everyone wake up!

Neji: Damn...what's it been, five months since you last wrote?

Gogeta: Yeah I've been busy. Now places everybody.

Tenten: What have you been doing?

Gogeta: None of your business, now places!

Sasuke: Not until you fill us in.

Gogeta: Get in your places now, or I'll write you out of the story!

Keito: He's been busy joining the Army.

Gogeta: That's it Keito!

Keito: Oh please. You won't do anything.

Gogeta: Make me angry again and fine out just how much I will do.

Neji: You should probably be quiet now.

The scream continued and Neji felt his heart being torn in two by the hideous sound. Slowly it died down and Neji forced his eyes open; expecting the worst. What he saw defied all logic: Keito knelt over Tenten and Watari's claws were rammed through his chest. For once, Watari's smile faded and he looked frightened.

"Lord Orochimaru won't like this." he said quietly.

Watari quickly withdrew his claws and Keito fell side ways and lay still.

_He...he saved her._ Neji thought, staring at the body of the person he thought had had no honor. Watari stared at the body a moment longer and then he was pacing, mumbling to himself.

"I'm so dead...when Lord Orochimaru finds out...not my fault."

Neji tore his eyes away from Keito's body and tried to break free again, but Watari's Magnetic chakra was still making it impossible for Neji to move. He looked at Tenten and saw that she had fainted. _Can't blaim her...she just about died._

Watari finally seemed to come to a decision and turned back to Neji and Tenten. "Maybe if I kill you and beg Sasuke to speak on my behalf, Lord Orochimaru won't kill me...yeah that should work." He advanced on Neji, his claws out and his smile back on his face. "Any last words, Hyuuga Neji?"

"Yeah, why don't you wipe that smile off your face?"

Watari laughed and thrust his claws down toward Neji.

They were five inches away when a large flail slammed into him, sending him flying. Neji's eyes went wide with terror and he looked to his left to see Tenten standing next to him, a large chain in her hands.

"How did you-" Neji began, but Tenten gestured for him to stop and removed the tools that were pinning Neji down. "Do you have a plan?"

"Nope...winging it actually."

"Great...it's like Naruto is with us."

Watari emerged from the trees rubbing his shoulder where he'd been hit, his smile never faltering. "Good job! You caught me off guard and I actually felt that one."

"Hope I broke something!" Tenten called.

"Nah, it was more like a tickle." Watari chuckled.

Tenten scowled and pulled out her scroll, "If that tickled, then you're going to love this!" a puff of smoke obscured her until she leapt out of if wielding a giant spiked club. She expertly flipped in mid-air and brought the club around 360 degrees until it made contact with earth. The impact made the ground shake and Neji had to fight to maintain his balance. When the dust cleared, Watari was leaning against the club, grinning ear to ear.

"Did you forget that I have Magnetic chakra? Not only can I attract metal, I can repel it too."

"So that's why the chain and my Raiton chakra didn't work...he repelled both the lightning and metal with the same electric charge!" Neji said.

"Oh! Maybe you are smart after all." Watari chuckled.

Tenten returned the club to her scroll and re-grouped with Neji, "So how are we supposed to hurt him if your Jyuuken and my tools have no effect?"

"I...don't know." Neji admitted.

"Maybe I can provide some assistance." a voice said behind them. They spun around to see Keito standing there looking as if he hadn't just been stabbed through the chest.

"Keito!" Neji and Tenten both stared at him in astonishment.

"That's my name, don't wear it out. Watari...I remember you...Lord Orochimaru always did hold you high esteem."

"Keito is it? I don't recall ever seeing you." Watari said nonchalantly, apparently unfazed by Keito's recrovery.

"Lucky for me...but I would have thought someone Lord Orochimaru thought so much of would be able to handle two kids."

_His personality has completely changed...is the Keito we know a disguise? _Neji wondered.

"Careful Keito. I'm supposed to bring you alive, but my hand could slip a second time."

Keito smirked and took a step in front of Neji and Tenten, "Sit back. I'll handle this."

"Keito, there's no way-" Tenten began but Keito cut her off.

"Please, this guy will be no problem."

Keito calmly walked toward Watari and for a second, his smile slipped, "No problem, huh? Well let's see if you can do that healing trick again!"

Watari thrust both of his hands forward and Tenten's ninja tools began to fly through the air once more. Keito paid them little attention and continued to advance on Watari.

"Confident are you Keito?"

"I don't know if you'd call it confidence when you know you're going to win."

"Oh so you're just cocky!" Watari chuckled and wiggled his hands making several tools fly in Keito's direction. He watched the tools streak towards him until at the last second, he dodged. The tool came so close that Tenten and Neji thought it had actually hit it's mark, but it impaled itself harmlessly in the ground. More tools rained down and Keito dodged them all in similar fashion, dodging while barely moving.

"Is that all you've got?" Keito taunted, now only five steps from Watari.

"Of course not." Watari said quietly, the smile still on his face. "Any last words before I show you what I've really got?"

"I do have a question. How are you doing these jutsu without any fingers? I mean, how do you do hand seals?"

This completely wiped the smile off Watari's face, "Please don't make me angry...bad things happen when I get angry."

"Oh, sorry. Did I touch a soft spot? I didn't realize you were so sensitive about not having fingers or toes."

"Stop it right now." Watari growled, his smile replaced by a scowl.

"Hey look everybody! He doesn't have any digits!" Keito roared with laughter.

"That's it! You want to see my fingers? Well here you go!" Watari screamed and not only did his claws re-emerge, but so did several other spikes all over his body.

"Lord Orochimaru may be brilliant, but he's not original. This is him trying to re-create the Kaguya Clan's blood line trait." Keito explained to Neji and Tenten. "Remember Kimimaro?"

With each taunt Keito said, Watari's claws and spikes seemed to grow longer and thicker. "Keito...you have signed your death certificate."

Watari pointed his claws at Keito and fired each in his direction. He dodged again and was suddenly right next to Watari.

"Still not good enough Watari. Unfortunately for you, your favor with Lord Orochimaru meant that I got to observe you quite often. I know all your tricks, your weaknesses, your transformations...I even know your favorite color."

Watari swung his arm at Keito but he merely ducked and jabbed Watari in his arm pit. Watari screamed in pain and leapt away from Keito. "How?"

"Weren't you listening? Lord Orochimaru allowed me to observe you."

"What's he doing Neji?" Tenten asked.

"I can see it now. Watari has a large metal coil in his torso and it's ends are exposed in both of his arm pits. The coil is what allows him to act like a magnet; the iron in his blood provides a core and he sends Raiton chakra down the coil effectively creating an electron magnet. He then uses his chakra to control the magnetic field from the exposed ends on the coil in his arm pits. It's also how he makes his skin so hard, he moves the iron in his blood to create an iron plate. Essentially he can use his blood as armor. Aparently touching the exposed coil causes severe pain."

"Wow...how'd you miss that?" Tenten asked.

"Never mind, I have a plan." Neji said with a grimace.

Watari was on the defensive now, using the flying tools to keep Keito away from him rather than to attack.

"What's the matter, Watari? Afraid of being tickled?"

Watari said nothing but continued to wave his arms furiously in a desperate attempt to incapacitate Keito. He continued to duck and weave around the tools, never taking his eyes off Watari.

"I can feel you slowing down...could you be running out of chakra?" Keito smirked.

Suddenly, Watari's smile was back, "Nope, just had to slow down so I could be a little more accurate." with that Watari jumped back ten feet leaving Keito in a large ring of discarded tools. Watari raised both his arm revealing the ends of the coil and large bolts of lightning arced from the coil to the tools to, creating a cage of lightning around Keito. "You shouldn't have been so cocky, Keito." Watari laughed.

"And neither should you." Keito smirked back.

"What?"

Suddenly Neji and two clones surrounded Watari. He brought down both his arms to impale the clones but they ducked and wrapped a large chain around each arm. Tenten pulled back both chains forcing Watari's arms to stick straight back. Then the two clones kicked Watari's feet out from under him. He hit the ground spread eagle and both the clones jumped on Watari's feet, holding them down.

"I wonder what will happen when I do this." Neji wondered out loud. He reached down and flooded Watari's coil with the opposite electric charge. Neji's Byakugan could see him loosing control of his electric field, leaving his tenketsu unprotected. Neji struck five of the tenketsu, making it impossible for Watari to shut off his magnetic field and leapt back.

For a moment nothing happened, but then Watari screamed in pain as the iron in his blood was repelled by the same electric charge in his body until it was forced out of every pore of his body. Then as Watari's field grew stronger, the discarded ninja tools became attracted to him and each rushed to meet him. The tools not only pierced his skin, but sank in until they came in contact with the coil in his body. Then mineral deposits in the area swarmed to meet him, encasing Watari in a metal coffin.

Neji stood panting, staring in amazement at what he'd done. He looked back at Tenten who had dropped her chains and stood staring with her hand over her mouth. They shared a look and both fell to their knees; exhausted.

The lightning cage that confined Keito subsided and dispersed. Keito lay very still. Neji's Byakugan told him that he was alive, just unconscious again.

"What did you do?" Tenten asked, a scared tone in her voice.

"I...I just reversed his polarity." Neji said quietly. "I didn't know it would do all that."

"Where's Keito." Tenten said, obviously not wanting to think about what had just happened to Watari.

"He's over there." Neji said.

"Let's go check him out."

They walked over to where Keito lay and found that he was fine. They brought him around and he sat up looking very confused.

"You were amazing Keito." Tenten said.

"What are you talking about? Did I stun you with my awesomeness?" Keito said with his usual smirk.

"What? No, the way you fought Watari like he was nothing." Tenten said.

"That weird guy with no fingers? I didn't fight him, I just hid behind a rock."

"You said you observed him while you were with Orochimaru." Neji said

Keito laughed, "I've never seen Orochimaru in my life."

_He was calling him 'Lord Orochimaru' before._ Neji thought to himself. "Then what's this secret information you're supposed to have on Orochimaru?"

"I'm not telling you! You'll just leave me behind and tell the Hokage yourself if I tell you."

_What's up with him...his personality changed again. _Neji wondered.

"So what are we waiting around here for? I thought you were taking me to your village." Keito complained.

"No...we're going to the Land of Birds first." Neji said.

"Why?" Keito whined.

"To save Hinata. Sheesh don't you remember anything?" Tenten groaned.

"Nope. Why don't you try refreshing my memory." Keito said with a sly look.

"Shut up, Keito. Tenten we'll rest here for a while and then we'll head out."

Tenten agreed and started setting up camp. Neji slipped away into the trees and looked to the east, towards the Land of Birds, Hinata, and Sasuke.

"Just hang in there a little longer, Hinata. I'm coming for you."

Neji: Damn. That was a brutal way to kill someone.

Gogeta: Yeah I kinda got the idea from X-Men.

Tenten: How did you miss a giant metal coil inside Watari Neji?

Neji: Gogeta hadn't thought of it yet.

Gogeta: Shut up, Neji.

Keito: So is that what you meant by I'd get mine?

Gogeta: Yep. Take that!

Keito: I get stabbed in the chest and then come out of it unscathed? Oh yeah, you sure showed me.

Orochimaru: And you're one to talk about me not being original, didn't Hinata fight a magnet guy?

Hinata: Sure did. Pretty sure I beat him in a similar fashion too.

Gogeta: Where the hell did you guys come from!

Sasuke: Us famous people need an entourage don't we?

Gogeta: Famous? You've only been in one chapter so far.

Sasuke: Ignoring that.

Gogeta: But-

Sasuke: Talk to the hand.

Tenten: Good job on finishing this chapter in a day after not writing for five months by the way.

Gogeta: Thank you, Tenten.

Tenten: About freaking time.


	4. Hinata's Decision

Sasuke: Alright, Gogeta! You promised me screen time and you're going to give it to me.

Gogeta: Ok ok, Sasuke, just put the sword away.

Sasuke: It had better be a good scene, not like from the second Shippuden movie where I barely do anything.

Gogeta: Don't worry. Your scene will be epic.

Neji: Does that mean I finally get to fight him?

Gogeta: In due time.

Hinata: Do I get to come back into the story too?

Gogeta: Calm down all of you. I'll satisfy all of your needs.

Tenten: Then I get to use a kunai to-

Gogeta: I'm gunna stop you right there Tenten...I refuse to write anything above PG

Sasuke: Umm...what do you call Sakura's Long Night then?

Gogeta: How do you know about that?

Tenten: And aren't you making a sequel to it?

Gogeta: Enough! Let's start the chapter.

Hinata woke on a flag stone floor. As she regained consciousness, she began to ache more and more. She forced herself to open one eye and saw that she was on the top level of what looked like an abandoned bunker. The forest stretched out in all directions, the sun shone down on her, and Sasuke loomed at the ledge, glaring into the forest. Hinata was suddenly wide awake, her mind working furiously. Quickly taking in every detail of her surroundings, she realized that she was in the Land of Birds very close to the border with the Land of Fire. She activated her Byakugan to try to find any obvious landmarks, but Sasuke had chosen a secluded area of the forest; nothing was within her range of vision. Aparently bored with the forest, Sasuke turned on his heel to face Hinata who quickly shut her eyes again.

"I can tell you're awake." Sasuke said, standing over her.

Hinata ignored him, continuing to play possum.

"Fine. Ignore me. You'll get hungry eventually." Even as the words left Sasuke's mouth, Hinata's stomach growled loudly. She cringed only slightly but it was enough for Sasuke to see. In an instant he had Hinata slammed against a wall, her neck in his hand. "Open your eyes."

Hinata tentatively opened her eyes and stared in awe at Sasuke. His face had no emotion, even as he was strangling Hinata. Her hands flew up to Sasuke's in a vain attempt to free herself. Panicking, she was unable to use her Jyuuken and instead scratched at his arm. If this hurt Sasuke, he didn't show it and he released her, letting her slide down the wall.

Hinata collapsed to her knees, coughing and rubbing her throat. She could sense Sasuke staring down at her and tried to formulate a plan.

"It's pointless to attack you know." Sasuke said, as if reading her mind. "I'd see it coming a mile away with my Sharingan."

Realizing he was right, Hinata edged away from Sasuke until she was in a corner and sat there facing him. He watched her with relative aloofness, making sure she didn't try to escape.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

Hinata glared at him but her stomach betrayed her. She shook her head and mustered up her courage, "N-Neji will save me, you know!"

"Oh, he'll come after you; however, I'm not too sure about the saving you part."

"You'll s-see. Neji will b-beat you! He's n-not the same as b-before."

"No he won't." Sasuke said, turning his back on Hinata again. "In fact he doesn't stand a chance. Do you want to know why?"

Hinata said nothing but stared at Sasuke's back. She could tell he was forming hand seals, and she saw the chakra build up in his chest. Then the fire ball erupted from his mouth, engulfing a near by tree. A huge flock of birds boiled from the foliage, fleeing for their lives and Sasuke hit each with a Chidori Senbon. For a moment, Hinata thought they'd escape, but then each senbon released a bolt of lightning which arced to another senbon creating a ball of chain lightning. The corpses of the birds rained down on Sasuke and he caught one. He turned again so he was facing Hinata once more and offered the bird to her.

"Still hungry?"

Neji awoke from a dreamless sleep, still quite exhausted. He forced himself to get up and he roused Tenten and Keito.

"Five more minutes please." Keito snored, "Actually, make it five hours."

Neji gave his a swift kick in the butt and Keito was instantly on his feet and complaining again. Tenten was already rolling up her sleeping bag gathering up her various tools. In a matter of minutes, they were back in the trees. Tenten would occasionally question Keito about his fight with Watari and would usually get a response like, "I told you I don't remember a 'Watari' so stop asking!" Neji began to ponder the possibility of a split personality. His mind also lingered on Keito's amazing recovery. He'd only witnessed healing powers like that in one other person: Naruto.

They soon arrived at the border to the Land of Birds and Neji stopped, glaring at the sky in search of any sign of Sasuke. Tenten alighted next to him and also scanned the sky.

"How are we supposed to find him? We can't exactly search an entire country." Tenten grumbled, but as if in answer to this, a giant ball of fire engulfed a tree, burning it to cinders, followed by a huge ball of lightning that blossomed in the sky. Neji instantly activated his Byakugan and searched for the user of the Jutsu and Sasuke was easily visible with his level of chakra. He watched Sasuke catch a dead bird and offer it to someone. Neji focused and Hinata came into focus.

"It's Sasuke!" Neji growled, "Hinata is with him. Her chakra is weak, but it's definitely her."

"So what's the plan, Neji?" Tenten asked.

"There isn't one." Neji said bluntly.

"What?" Tenten gasped. "But you never do anything without a plan!"

"I spent most of the night trying to formulate a plan." Neji explained, "I can't come up with anything to counter that Sharingan of his."

"What about smoke bombs?" Tenten said almost frantically.

"Wouldn't matter." Neji said curtly, "He may not be able to see me, but the Sharingan would still be able to sense my chakra. I'd be lit up like a billboard."

"Genjutsu then."

Neji actually laughed at this, "Genjutsu on an eye that mainly uses Genjutsu?"

"How about I distract him for you and then you come at him from behind?"

"No, I think this is going to be a one on one fight. Besides, Sasuke would see right through it."

"We won't know until we try!"

"Tenten-"

"Don't you try to tell me that I'm not strong enough-"

"Tenten-"

"-because I'm strong enough to take on that snake loving-"

But Tenten was cut off when Neji suddenly reached out and kissed her; the Sasuke insult forgotten. He finally broke the kiss and gently touched Tenten's cheek. "I can't loose you again."

Tenten smiled up at him and a tear rolled down her cheek into Neji's hand. "You won't have to. Not if we work together."

Neji closed his fingers around the tear and tucked his hand into his shirt. "Together then?"

"Together." Tenten smiled, wrapping her own hands around Neji's. "So, if there isn't a plan, what are we going to do?"

"We're going to run in, get Hinata and run out. She is all that matters."

"WHAT!" Keito screamed. He'd been so quiet for once, that Neji and Tenten had almost forgotten he was there. "I knew it! You mean to run in there, abandon me, and take the girl!"

"No! That's not the plan at all." Tenten said urgently.

"Liar!" Keito screeched and bolted away.

Tenten swore and looked at Neji, then in Sasuke's direction and then back to where Keito had vanished. She struggled for a second and sighed, "Looks like you'll have to go it alone after all."

"We should both go after Keito." Neji urged, but Tenten was defiant.

"No. You have to save Hinata before Sasuke decides he's tired of waiting. I'll catch Keito and be back to back you up."

Neji smiled and touched his chest where he'd put Tenten's tear of joy, "You'll be backing me up all the way."

She smiled back and gave Neji one more quick kiss, "I love you."

"I lo...I lo...I'm sorry." Neji sighed.

Tenten's smile faltered for a moment, but then she winked at him and rushed off after Keito.

_Why can't I say it? I said it before. Oh well, at least this saves me from having to knock her out. _Neji thought. He turned and faced where Sasuke was standing and his face hardened into a scowl. "I'm coming Hinata. Just hang in there."

Neji rushed through the trees in a mad dash for the bunker. He was a hundred yards away when Sasuke swooped down on him.

Sasuke paced the edge of the bunker impatiently. Hinata could tell that something was bothering him despite how hard he was trying to hide it. Sasuke would occasionally stop and glare at the surrounding forest as if expecting somebody to appear. Finally he came to stop and turned to face Hinata.

"Still sure that your dear cousin is coming to rescue you?" he said with a nasty smirk. Hinata said nothing but she wrapped her arms tighter around herself and she averted her eyes. _Watari should have come back by now. The Hyuuga must be coming._

Sasuke turned his back on Hinata again and formed a hand seal. A large snake emerged from Sasuke's shoulder and when it slithered to his feet, he transformed it into his likeness, "Scout the surrounding area."

The Snake Clone nodded and transformed into Sasuke's Level 2 Curse Mark form and took off.

"S-seems you're not as c-confident as you let on." Hinata said quietly from her corner.

"This should worry you even more." Sasuke calmly replied. "Even I am beginning to think that your cousin is not coming to rescue you."

Hinata closed her eyes in a vain attempt to quench the tears forming in them, "He'll come for me." she said in a whisper.

"What if he cares more for that other girl?" Sasuke asked.

"He loves Tenten, but they both will risk their lives to protect me." Hinata said defiantly.

"Then where is he?"

Hinata fell silent again. She'd been asking herself the same question ever since she'd woken up.

"Could it be that he's chosen to put the mission first?" Sasuke continued. "He has chosen to abandon you and return that prisoner to Konoha? That is the Shinobi way isn't it?"

"No...he's not like that anymore...he's changed." she said, more to herself than Sasuke.

Sasuke's face softened and he approached Hinata. He stood over her for a moment and then squatted so he was on her level. "I admire the faith you have in your family. It reminds me of the love I used to have for my brother."

Hinata opened her eyes and looked into Sasuke's face for the first time. She was amazed to see pity in that cold face.

"It hurts when a friend betrays you...but when one of your own kin does it...the pain is tenfold."

As Hinata watched, she saw several emotions flutter across Sasuke's face and she almost reached out to comfort him.

"You know what I say is true. Why not join a person who understands the pain you're feeling?"

"Wh-What!" Hinata gasped.

"Join me." Sasuke said calmly. "Imagine it; the Byakugan and Sharingan working together. We'd be invincible! I'm sure even Naruto would notice your strength then."

Hinata blushed at the mention of Naruto, but she never looked away from Sasuke's eyes, "I'd never join someone like you."

"Think about it. You've always been against the Branch family system of the Hyuuga. If we work together, we could destroy it and you could rebuild the family as you see fit. You could finally let your cousin have the honor and recognition he deserves."

Hinata shook her head, "I am against the Branch family system, but tearing it down is not what I want to do."

"Then what about your uncle?" Sasuke said, "You could seek vengeance on Kumogakure for his dishonorable sacrifice."

As these words left Sasuke's mouth, a hidden fire blazed in Hinata's eyes. She leapt to her feet and glared down at Sasuke. "How dare you! The sacrifice that my uncle made was honorable and it was made to save my life. I hold my uncle in the highest regard and it's because of men like him that I'm proud to carry the Hyuuga name."

Sasuke sighed and also rose to his feet. He was slightly taller than Hinata and her hands involuntarily folded themselves over her heart.

"Neji's not the only one who can read body language." Sasuke said, his cold expression back. "You may be outwardly defiant, but inside you're wishing you could run away and hide. No wonder your cousin isn't saving you, you're worthless as a Shinobi."

Hinata stood there stunned; she felt her stomach turn to ice and her heart burn with anger.

"Perhaps this is also why Naruto will never notice you as well."

At these words, something snapped inside of Hinata. Her Byakugan activated, her chakra flooded her hands and she lunged at Sasuke with a shrieking battle cry. Sasuke easily dodged this and retreated a few steps. Hinata assumed her Jyuuken stance and glared at Sasuke with all the hate she could muster.

"I am a Hyuuga Hinata, daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi, and a Shinobi of Konohagakure, and I will defeat you."

Hinata closed the gap between her and Sasuke and he stepped forward to meet her.

Neji ducked just in time to avoid Sasuke's attack and jumped to the forest floor below. Sasuke quickly followed and alighted as well, allowing the Curse Mark to recede back into his body.

"Where is Hinata!" Neji demanded.

Sasuke said nothing but lunged at Neji who easily dodged the attack and countered with two quick strikes to Sasuke's right arm. It fell limp to his body but he didn't seem to care and continued his assault. Neji easily dodges Sasuke's attacks and soon Sasuke is completely paralyzed.

"That was far too easy." Neji said standing over his defeated opponent. "Who are you really?"

The Snake Clone opened it's mouth and hissed before returning to it's snake form. It glared up at Neji for a moment and then it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I've had enough of this." Neji growled, and again rushed for the bunker.

Hinata slumped against the wall, grasping her gut. Sasuke stood over her, glaring down on her.

"That was a fine attempt, but my hate is stronger than yours." Sasuke said.

Hinata forced one eye open as she cradled the spot Sasuke had kicked her. She noticed something catch his attention but he brushed it off and summoned another large snake. It slithered up to Hinata and opened it's jaws wide.

Fresh adrenaline shot through Hinata's veins and her awful scream rent the air as she disappeared down the snake's gullet. Sasuke watched with mild interest as Hinata's body came to settle in the belly of the snake. When it was all over, he extended his arm to the snake, "Now come with me. We must prepare for company."

The snake slithered up Sasuke's arm and draped itself over his shoulders as Sasuke turned on the spot and descended into the shadows of the abandoned bunker.

Hinata: (muffled noises)

Gogeta: Yes Hinata, I too like fried rice.

Neji: I can't believe you made Hinata get eaten.

Sasuke: You know how everyone says I'm gay...well guess what, my snake just _ate _a girl.

Neji: Wow...now I see why everyone says you're gay.

Sasuke: Shut up!

Tenten: What did I miss?

Gogeta: Nothing.

Keito: That's a big lump in that snake.

Gogeta: Yeah it just ate.

Tenten: Where's Hinata.

Hinata: (more muffled noises)

Tenten: Whoa! Sasuke, I thought you were gay!

Sasuke: I hate all of you


End file.
